Apparatus for producing box components

ABSTRACT

Flat, stiff blanks for match box sleeves are withdrawn from a stack in a magazine by a belt and transferred to a shaping bar about which they are draped by a system of belts and rollers. Edges of the blank are covered with adhesive prior to draping and glued to each other.

United States Patent Inventors Otto Czerweny Von Arland;

Fritz Van Endert, Dusseldorf-Oberkassel; Knut Lelonek, Starnberg;

Heinrich Olswald Otterfing; OtwinSchatfer, Munich,

Germany May 1,1968

Feb. 23, 1971 said Van Endert;

said Lelonek; said Olswald; said Schaffer; assignors to said Von ArlandMay 3, 1967 Germany Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignees PriorityAPPARATUS FOR PRODUCING BO COMPONENTS 4 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 93/81, 93/36, 93/52, 93/59, 93/94 Int. Cl B3lb 1/28, 1331bl/62,B3lc 1/00 Field of Search 93/36 (C),

39.1 (P), 52, 59, 81-82, 94 (PX) [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 795,949 8/1905 Wright 93/52 996,785 7/1911 Motz 93/94X 1,136,4794/1915 Motz 93/52 1,298,586 3/1919 Sidebotham... 93/52 1,375,108 4/1921Rees 93/59X 1,707,712 4/1929 Cowgill 93/52X 1,985,997 l/1935 Keeran93/94X 2,915,952 12/1959 ONeil 93/82 3,073,217 l/l963 Spalding.....93/52 3,122,069 2/ 1964 Lopez 93/52 3,405,611 10/1968 Millich 93/52X3,439,588 4/ 1969 Taylor 93/94X Primary Examiner-Wayne A. Morse, Jr.Attorney Low and Herman ABSTRACT: Flat, stiff blanks for match boxsleeves are withdrawn from a stack in a magazine by a belt andtransferred to a shaping bar about which they are draped by a system ofbelts and rollers. Edges of the blank are covered with adhesive prior todraping and glued to each other.

PATENTED FEB23 IHYI SHEET 3 BF 6 3; 554 9 1 PATENTEUFEawsn SHEET 5 OF 63,5 4,9 1

APlPAlRATUS FOR PRODUCING lBOX COMPONENTS The present invention relatesgenerally to the production of open ended prismatic box components andmore particularly to apparatus for producing the outer parts of matchboxes within which the inner, drawerlike parts can be slid in and out.

In one known apparatus for making such components cut, individual blanksare withdrawn from a magazine, by means of a feed belt which transfersthe blanks to conveyor belts. The blanks are coated with adhesive,folded flat by the conveyor belts and removed from the apparatus. Beforeuse, box components produced in this manner must however first beerected.

However in match factories, for example, it is desireable that the boxesbe transported without manual labor from the box making apparatus to themachine for inserting the drawer part, and that further operations takeplace without manual work. This is only possible if the stiff boxcomponents have already been erected. Apart from this, the boxcomponents are often not sufficiently stiff since they are pressed flatto a degree which is excessive so that such outer box parts will notretain the inner drawer parts, and the matches or other contents willdrop out.

One object of the present invention is to avoid these disadvantages.

A further object of the invention is to provide a box component makingapparatus which has a high output.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus whichproduces erected stiff box components.

Yet a further object of the invention is to avoid distortion of the boxcomponents.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a box componentmaking apparatus which can produce components of different length.

The apparatus in accordance with the invention is intended, also, tomake boxes with sharp edges and sides which do not bulge outwards.

In accordance with one aspect the present invention resides in anapparatus for making open ended hollow prismatic box componentscomprising a shaping bar, means for moving blanks along this bar, andmeans for simultaneously folding them about the bar so as to envelop itand assume a shape whose internal cross section corresponds to the crosssection of the bar, and including belt means of flexible material forconveying the blanks along the bar.

An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a machine in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view.

FIGS. 3 to 9 are sections on the lines AA, BB, C-C, D-D, E-E, F14 F, G-Gof FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 it canbe seen that reference numeral 1 denotes the frame of the apparatus,this frame only being shown in FIG. 2. Reference numeral 2 denotes amagazine which is filled with a stack of blanks 3 from which the boxcomponents are to be made. Reference numeral 4 denotes a feed belt whichremoves the blanks from the magazine one after the other by frictionalengagement with a terminal or bottom blank, a stripper or gate 5 servingto prevent more than one blank being removed at a time. After removalfrom the magazine the blanks are passed along by the belt 4 at the levelof the bottom of the magazine and are fed to the transporting parts ofthe apparatus. This feed system will in what follows be referred to asthe belt feed.

The belt feed runs in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1.The blanks move in the same direction. A small distance upstream fromthe end of the feed belt 4 the blanks are transferred to two pairs ofconveyor belts 6,7 and 8, 9 (FIG. 3), and are held between the lowerconveyor belts 6, 8 in each pair and the upper conveyor belts 7, 9. Theconveyor belt 6 runs over pulleys or rollers 10, ll, 12, and 13. Theconveyor belt 7 runs over pulleys l4, 15, 16. The conveyor belt 8 runsover a pulley 17 which is coaxial to the pulley 10, over a pulley l8,and over pulleys l9 and 20 which are coaxial to pulleys l2 and 13. Theconveyor belt 9 runs over the pulley 14', which is coaxial with thepulley 14, a pulley l5, and a pulley 16' which is approximately coaxialwith the pulley 16. All four conveyor belts are driven at precisely thesame speed by shafts 21, 22, 23, 24 which are connected by means ofnonillustrated toothed belts and gear wheels.

Before the blanks are transferred by the feed belt 4 to the two pairs ofconveyor belts 6, 7, 8, 9, rollers 25 press the blanks onto the feedbelt 4 so that the blanks do not run askew.

Owing to the fact that the two pairs of conveyor belts 6. 7. 8. 9 arepartly coextensive in the direction of movement with the feed belt 4,distortion of the blanks during transfer from the feed belt to theconveyor belts is prevented even if the speed of the feed belts is notexactly the same as that of the conveyor belts. It has actually beenfound that a small difference in speed at the transfer position isdesirable in order to space out the individual blanks.

Pressure rollers 26 which back the upper conveying belts 7, 9 aremounted in a nonillustrated manner resiliently, while correspondingrollers 26' for the lower conveyor belts 6, 8 rotate about fixed axes.To the two sides of the belts 6, 7, 8,

and 9 are mounted stationary guide rails 27 and 28 (see FIG.

4) which fold the edge portions 3' of the blanks 3 from the flatposition into that shown in broken lines through an angle which isgreater than for creasing and partly breaking each blank.

As will be gathered from FIGS. 1 and 2, one pair of conveying belts 6, 7is somewhat longer than the other pair 8, 9 for layout reasons. Thebelts 6, 7, 8, 9 are followed by a central pair of conveying belts 29,30. The belt 29 is placed below the upper belt 30. Pressing rollers 31for the upper conveyor belt are mounted for resilient displacement whilesupport rollers 32 for the lower conveyor belt rotate about fixed axes.

The belts 29, 30 and 6, 7, 8, 9 run at precisely the same speed. Thepair of conveyor belts 8, 9 releases the blanks before the pair ofconveyor belts 6 and 7 which retain the blanks until they have beensecurely engaged by the central pair of conveyor belts 29, 30.

The lower belt 29 of the central pair of conveyor belts extends as faras the end of the apparatus while the upper belt 30 ends upstream fromthe position at which the blanks 3 are moved onto a shaping bar or sword42, 43. Guide pulleys for the lower central conveyor belt are denoted byreference numerals 31, 32, 33 and 34 while those for the upper conveyorbelt are denoted by reference numerals 35, 36, and 37. The lower belt 29is driven by a shaft 38 connected witha wheel 33 and the upper belt isdriven by a shaft 39 connected with a wheel or pulley 36.

Adhesive is applied by means of a wheel 40 (see FIG. 2) not illustratedin detail and well known in the art. The speed of rotation of the wheel40 can be adjusted. It is driven by means of a shaft 41.

The shaping bar or sword is aligned with the pair of conveyor belts 29and 30 and consists of two parts 42 and 43 (see 4 FIGS. 6 and 7). Thesidewalls 3" of the box component are folded upwards along the part 42.Along the part 43, whose height corresponds to the height of theinterior of the box components, edge portions 3 are swung downward intothe closed position as shown in FIG. 7. The thickness of the bar orsword corresponds to the interior width of the box component. The belt29 runs along the lower bar edge and has approximately the same width.

A transport roller 44 which is immediately adjacent to the belt 30 andpulley 36 cannot be brought close enough to the pulley 36 owing to thelarge diameter of the latter and in order to prevent the blanks frombeing released, we provide on both sides, somewhat offset, at a positionadjacent to the pulley 36, pairs of transport wheels 45, 46, 47, 48which are driven by a shaft 45 whose speed can be adjusted. Those twopairs of transport wheels take over the conveying of the blank betweenthe pulley 36 and the roller 44.

In the first part of the bar or sword which constitutes a folding uprail 42, the blanks are held between rollers 49 mounted on the rail andthe belt 29. On account of the reduction in speed on transfer from thepair of belts 29, 30 to the rollers 49 of the bar the latter is alignedwith the pair of belts 29 and 30. Since the bar is rigidly fixed inposition, the lower support rollers 50, on which the belt 29 runs, arearranged to allow resilient displacement of their axes.

On both sides adjacent to the folding up rail 42 there run side belts51, 52 which are supported by a row of guide rollers 53, 54 whose axesare spaced in a downstream direction along the folding bar 43 startingin a horizontal position and gradually passing into a vertical position.This causes a twisting of the side belts in the longitudinal direction,that is to say along the bar. One lateral or side belt 51 has oversupport or guide pulleys 55, 56 of which the first one is arranged sothat its axis if horizontal while the last one is arranged to that itsaxis is vertical. The other lateral belt 52 runs over similar pulleys57, 58. The two side belts 51, 52 gradually force the side parts 3" ofthe blank 3, which rest on it, upwards to induce an upward foldingaction. During this process the side or lateral belts run atsubstantially the same speed as the lower belt 29.

At the position adjacent to support 59 for the folding bar 42, 43 theside belts 51, 52 complete the pushing of the side parts 3" of theblanks into the upright position. From this position downstream the sidebelts hold the side parts 3" against the folding bar or sword 43.

As is shown more particularly inFIG. 7 rows of closing rollers 60 and 61then fold the edge 3' of the box components downwards into the closedposition. In the embodiment shown the left edge portion is first foldeddownwards and is followed by the right portion. Each of the rollers 60,61 is so shaped that there is a stepwise closing of the flaps as the boxcomponent passes from one pair of rollers 60, 61 to the next one. As canbe seen from FIG. 7, the two flaps of the blanks are moved downwards oneafter the other. The last closing rollers 60 and 61 are followed bypressing rollers 62, 63 as is seen in FIGS. 1 and 8.

The latter rollers are substantially identical and shaped for firmlypressing the folded boxes in order that the adhesive can set somewhatbefore the box components leave the apparatus. The rollers 64 arearranged inside the closed boxes in two upper rows and two lower rowsalong the four edges of the sword portion 43 for rotation about axesparallel to the top and bottom faces of the bar and transverse to thedirection of bar elongation, so as to reduce the friction between themoving, folded blanks and the sword or shaping bar as the blank ispressed against the bar by the closing rollers 60, 61 and the belt 29(see FIGS. 7 and 8).

After leaving the bar the box components pass a station in which theiredges are again pressed somewhat. This is shown in FIG. 9. All therollers shown in this FIG. are arranged so that their axes cannot bedisplaced. They are adjustable. Independently from the pressing rollers67, 68 acting on the belts 51, 52 there are further rollers 69 and 70for pressing the upper edges of the closed box components, and pressingrollers 71, 72 for pressing the superposed edge portion 3. The rollers69, 70 and the rollers 71, 72 are arranged so their positions can beadjusted independently from the positions of the rollers 67 and 68.Owing to the provision of this roller system the box edges are somewhatover-folded by pressure on the sides so that independently of the actionof the creasing rails 27, 28, see FIG. 4, bulging of the sides of thebox components is prevented. In other words the spring-back of the foldsis decreased.

The upper rollers 62, 63 are arranged so that their positions can beadjusted laterally and upwards, as is the case with the rollers 65, 66and the belts 51, 52. In order to adapt the apparatus for the productionof different box component sizes the only part which needs to bereplaced is the bar or sword 42, 43. Other parts need only be adjusted.Furthermore, box components with greatly differing length can beproduced with the apparatus in accordance with the invention.

In order to service the apparatus and remove rejects in operation allthe upper and lateral rollers and belts are made so that they can beremoved from the shaping bar or sword simply by releasing rapid actiondetents, which are however not shown. The lateral belts 51, 52 aredriven by means of shafts 73, 74 which are connected with pulleys $6,58. The speed of the lateral belts and their pulling or braking forcecan be adjusted in order to be able to draw the side parts of the blanksforwards or backwards and to compensate for the resistance to travel ofthe blanks on folding.

In the present specification and claims the term belt is to be taken tomean not only leather belts but other flexible bands and also cords.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for making open ended prismatic containers comprising,in combination:

a. an elongated shaping bar of rectangular, elongated cross section soas to have two narrow and two wide longitudinal faces;

b. feeding means for sequentially feeding a plurality of blanks towardsaid bar, said feeding means including 1. a magazine adapted to hold astack of blanks, and 2. withdrawing means for individually withdrawingsaid blanks from said magazine,

3. said withdrawing means including an elongated vn'thdrawing beltmember and means for moving said withdrawing belt member longitudinallyin frictional contact with a terminal blank of said stack, and forthereby withdrawing said terminal blank from said magazine;

0. guide means extending longitudinally of said bar;

d. transfer means for transferring each blank from said withdrawing beltmember to said guide means for engagement thereby, said guide meansincluding 1. a flexible guide belt member extending adjacent one of saidnarrow faces for receiving a part of said blank between said guide beltmember and said one narrow face in simultaneous engagement with saidbelt member and said face,

2. a plurality of continuous lateral belt members respectively adjacentsaid wide faces, each lateral belt member defining a surface for contactwith said blank, a first end portion of said surface adjacent saidtransfer means being substantially parallel to said one narrow face, anda second end portion of said surface remote from said transfer means inthe direction of elongation of said shaping bar being substantiallyparallel to one of said wide faces and closely adjacent the same;

3. pressure means for pressing said guide belt member and said lateralbelt members toward an engaged blank and respective faces of said bar;

e. drive means for moving said guide belt member and said lateral beltmembers in said direction away from said transfer means while thetransferred blank is frictionally engaged by said guide belt member andsaid lateral belt members and slidably engages said bar, whereby saidblank is folded about said bar so as to envelop said one narrow face andsaid wide faces, and edge portions of said blank project beyond theother narrow face;

f. closing means for folding said edge portions over said other narrowface; and

g. means for applying adhesive to one of said edge portions prior tosaid folding thereof over said other narrow face, whereby the blankassumes a shape of an internal cross section corresponding to the crosssection of said bar.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transfer meansinclude a pair of transfer belts, said transfer belts, said withdrawingbelt member and said guide belt member having respective blank-engagingfaces moving in a common direction during operation of said apparatus,the blank-engaging face of one of said transfer belts being partlycoextensive in said common direction with the blank-engaging face of atleast one of said transfer and guide belt members.

parallel to said faces and transverse to the direction of elongation ofsaid bar, said guide belt member being moved substantially tangentiallyto the rollers associated with said one narrow face, and said closingmeans pressing said blank against the rollers associated with the othernarrow face.

1. An apparatus for making open ended prismatic containers comprising,in combination: a. an elongated shaping bar of rectangular, elongatedcross section so as to have two narrow and two wide longitudinal faces;b. feeding means for sequentially feeding a plurality of blanks towardsaid bar, said feeding means including
 1. a magazine adapted to hold astack of blanks, and
 2. withdrawing means for individually withdrawingsaid blanks from said magazine,
 3. said withdrawing means including anelongated withdrawing belt member and means for moving said withdrawingbelt member longitudinally in frictional contact with a terminal blankof said stack, and for thereby withdrawing said terminal blank from saidmagazine; c. guide means extending longitudinally of said bar; d.transfer means for transferring each blank from said withdrawing beltmember to said guide means for engagement thereby, said guide meansincluding
 1. a flexible guide belt member extending adjacent one of saidnarrow faces for receiving a part of said blank between said guide beltmember and said one narrow face in simultaneous engagement with saidbelt member and said face,
 2. a pluralIty of continuous lateral beltmembers respectively adjacent said wide faces, each lateral belt memberdefining a surface for contact with said blank, a first end portion ofsaid surface adjacent said transfer means being substantially parallelto said one narrow face, and a second end portion of said surface remotefrom said transfer means in the direction of elongation of said shapingbar being substantially parallel to one of said wide faces and closelyadjacent the same;
 3. pressure means for pressing said guide belt memberand said lateral belt members toward an engaged blank and respectivefaces of said bar; e. drive means for moving said guide belt member andsaid lateral belt members in said direction away from said transfermeans while the transferred blank is frictionally engaged by said guidebelt member and said lateral belt members and slidably engages said bar,whereby said blank is folded about said bar so as to envelop said onenarrow face and said wide faces, and edge portions of said blank projectbeyond the other narrow face; f. closing means for folding said edgeportions over said other narrow face; and g. means for applying adhesiveto one of said edge portions prior to said folding thereof over saidother narrow face, whereby the blank assumes a shape of an internalcross section corresponding to the cross section of said bar.
 2. Anapparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transfer means include apair of transfer belts, said transfer belts, said withdrawing beltmember and said guide belt member having respective blank-engaging facesmoving in a common direction during operation of said apparatus, theblank-engaging face of one of said transfer belts being partlycoextensive in said common direction with the blank-engaging face of atleast one of said transfer and guide belt members.
 2. withdrawing meansfor individually withdrawing said blanks from said magazine,
 2. apluralIty of continuous lateral belt members respectively adjacent saidwide faces, each lateral belt member defining a surface for contact withsaid blank, a first end portion of said surface adjacent said transfermeans being substantially parallel to said one narrow face, and a secondend portion of said surface remote from said transfer means in thedirection of elongation of said shaping bar being substantially parallelto one of said wide faces and closely adjacent the same;
 3. pressuremeans for pressing said guide belt member and said lateral belt memberstoward an engaged blank and respective faces of said bar; e. drive meansfor moving said guide belt member and said lateral belt members in saiddirection away from said transfer means while the transferred blank isfrictionally engaged by said guide belt member and said lateral beltmembers and slidably engages said bar, whereby said blank is foldedabout said bar so as to envelop said one narrow face and said widefaces, and edge portions of said blank project beyond the other narrowface; f. closing means for folding said edge portions over said othernarrow face; and g. means for applying adhesive to one of said edgeportions prior to said folding thereof over said other narrow face,whereby the blank assumes a shape of an internal cross sectioncorresponding to the cross section of said bar.
 3. In an apparatus asset forth in claim 1, a plurality of rollers spaced longitudinally onsaid bar for engagement with said blank.
 3. said withdrawing meansincluding an elongated withdrawing belt member and means for moving saidwithdrawing belt member longitudinally in frictional contact with aterminal blank of said stack, and for thereby withdrawing said terminalblank from said magazine; c. guide means extending longitudinally ofsaid bar; d. transfer means for transferring each blank from saidwithdrawing belt member to said guide means for engagement thereby, saidguide means including
 4. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 3, saidrollers being arranged in respective rows along said narrow longitudinalfaces of said shaping bar for rotation about respective axes parallel tosaid faces and transverse to the direction of elongation of said bar,said guide belt member being moved substantially tangentially to therollers associated with said one narrow face, and said closing meanspressing said blank against the rollers associated with the other narrowface.